1/ I reviewed a paper today and wanted to share some tips I try to implement to be supportive and provide constructive criticism when peer-reviewing a manuscript. A thread!

2/ When I read the paper for the first time, I try to read it without being interrupted and I write down all my comments (without censoring myself) as they come. Then, I let it sit for 1-2 days, depending on my schedule

3/ I make sure to read the manuscript once again when I am in a good mood (aka my partner cooked pasta with lots of cheese, it’s nice and sunny outside, my cats are extra cute, etc). I then go by my comments one by one and ask myself these following questions:

4/ Did I understand this section correctly and is my comment making any sense? English is my 2nd language. Therefore, when I do not understand something, it may be because of my own misunderstanding and not because of the authors

5/ If my comment makes sense, am I formulating it in a clear and concise way? Am I providing guidance, example and/or reference to support what I am suggesting?

6/ Am I phrasing this comment as a recommendation? It is not my paper and ultimately, not my decision! We all have personal preferences on how things should be presented in a manuscript, and my own preferences are not necessarily better than the authors’

7/ Finally, I make sure to include positive comments on sections I enjoyed reading.
Peer-review does not have to be such a painful exercise, and it should not generate anxiety for the authors. Let’s not be the mean reviewer 2! FIN #AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter